White House Seeks Billions in Record Investments to Stop Drug Epidemic

Today, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Jim Carroll released the Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 National Drug Control Budget, which requests a record $34.6 billion for counter-drug efforts. This represents a $1.3 billion funding increase from the previous fiscal year.

The request includes $6.6 billion in Federal resources to reduce the number of deaths resulting from illicit opioid use. This includes both public health and public safety efforts.

“Every day, American lives are being lost to an addiction crisis that touches every corner of our country. To meet this challenge head on, the Trump Administration is taking a whole-of-government approach that allocates more resources than at any point in history. The FY 2020 budget request strengthens our continued commitment to reversing the effects of the opioid crisis and making our communities safer, healthier places to live for the next generation,” ONDCP Director Jim Carroll said.

The $34.6 billion request funds key drug control priorities across 14 Executive Branch departments and agencies, the Federal Judiciary, and the District of Columbia. Displaying his commitment to solving the addiction epidemic, President Donald J. Trump’s FY 2020 request represents a 20% increase over the final FY 2017 level.

Below are highlights from the FY 2020 National Drug Control Budget:

The Budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is $1.5 billion. These grants provide States, tribes, and territories with flexibility in responding to the opioid crisis.

The Budget seeks approximately $50 million for the Department of Agriculture to address the opioid crisis in rural America. This includes distance learning and telemedicine networks, brick-and-mortar treatment facilities, and a tribal college grant program.

The Budget FY 2020 request for the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection includes $270 million of drug-related funding to support the continued construction of the border wall to stop the flood of illicit drugs coming into our communities.

In January 2019, the Trump Administration released its National Drug Control Strategy, which establishes the President’s priorities for addressing the challenge of drug trafficking and use. The FY 2020 Drug Budget Request, in support of the Strategy, will enable the Federal Government to drive progress forward against the opioid crisis and significantly reduce the number of Americans losing their lives to drug addiction.

To view the FY 2020 National Drug Control Budget Highlights, click HERE.